Tamil Nadu BJP chief questions CM Stalin's foreign investment trip

Chennai, Sep 1 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran has launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s ongoing trip to Germany, questioning both the purpose and the outcome of the visit.

In a statement, Nagenthran said that the Chief Minister’s announcement of signing investment agreements worth Rs 3,200 crore with three German firms has caused “deep disappointment and serious doubts.” He pointed out that the companies involved already have operations in Tamil Nadu and questioned the necessity of travelling abroad for deals that could have been finalised from the Chief Minister’s office in Chennai.

“Why should the Chief Minister abandon ongoing work here and go on a ten-day European tour for something that could have been completed in a single day from his office?” Nagenthran asked, describing the exercise as a “theatrical show” at public expense.

The BJP leader also criticised the scale of the investment announced, calling it insignificant compared to Tamil Nadu’s economy. “For a state with such a high GDP, Rs 3,200 crore is nothing more than a handful of grains for a hungry elephant,” he said.

Nagenthran drew comparisons with other states, highlighting that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis secured investments worth Rs 15 lakh crore during a single foreign trip in 2024. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, without travelling abroad himself, managed to attract around Rs 7 lakh crore in investments through his ministers.

“In contrast, our Chief Minister has gone abroad six times and has brought in only around Rs 18,000 crore in total commitments,” Nagenthran said, adding that 95 per cent of these agreements remain “only on paper” with little real progress on the ground. He alleged that the DMK government was misusing public money in the name of investment promotion.

“Is this not a fraudulent game played by the DMK under the guise of attracting investments? Will this publicity-driven government at least open its mouth now?” he asked.

Nagenthran‘s statement comes amid continuing debate in the state about the effectiveness of foreign tours undertaken by Chief Minister Stalin to attract industrial investments.

--IANS

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